Apparatus for salvaging ships



Dec. 7, 1943. V c, L 2,336,148

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SHIPS Filed larch 30. 1942 1 7 Sheets-Shoot 1 C4) M. Z on Dec. 7, 1943. c. M. zou.

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SHIPS Filed llgrch so. 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 u C. M. ZOLL APPRATUS FOR SALVAGING SHIPS Dec. 7,. E943.

7 sheets-sheet :5

Filed March 30, 1942 o f y c MQzm 7, 1943. c. zo| 7 2,336,148

' APPARATUS FOfi SALVAGING SHIPS Filed March 30, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 4; f

glwo/wfot (M2 mi'zon 1, 943- C. M. zoLL 2,336,148

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SHIPS Filed llarchSO. 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet s c. M. zdu.

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGING SHIPS Dec. 7, 1943.

Filed March 30. 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Dec, 7, 1943. c. M. zoLL APPARATUS FOR SALVAGIIG SHIPS Filed larch so. 1942' Tana-sum 7 earn/1.222;,

Patented Dec. 7, 1943 APPARATUS non SALVAGING sinrs Carl M. Z011, Dundalk; Md. Application'March so, 1942, Serial'No. 436,877

8 Claims. ('61. 114-44) This invention relates to the salvaging of ships and especially to righting sunken ships from beam-end positions.

It frequently happens that ships sink androll over so that the sunken ship lies on its side and ten occur in quite shallow waters as in docks or harbors. For instance, a ship in a dock may catch fire and be flooded with water to extinguish the fire and when sufiicient water has entered such ,a ship it will sink. Unless the bottom of the dock is unusually level, the ship will heel or list and thus is in beam-end position. Such sinkings of.-

even a slight heeling of the ship will result disastrously since, as soon as the heeling begins, the water in the ship will flow to the lower side, cause further heeling and finally the ship will roll over on its side. In such a beam-endposition any attempt to raise the ship by closing all openings f and pumping out the water will, in almost every instance, cause the ship to roll still further over until finally, when she floats, she will float bottom up. Pontoons have been attempted to. be used where room exists around such a ship but in case the ship lies in a dock or slip there is no room for pontoons. Moreover, even if the conditions are such as to afiord room'for pontoons, the difficulties'of using these devices are great and they cannot be accurately controlled so that their use is apt to roll the ship from one side to the other.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a practically simple and highly efil-' cient method and means for righting ships from beam-end positions, the means being positively be accomplished.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of hydraulic lift and tackle wherein the tackle connects the jack to the sunken ship in such manner that each stroke of the jack will liftthe ship a distance equal to the stroke made by the jack.

A fourth object of thei'nvention is to provide a novel form of lifting tackle for connecting a hydraulic jack to a ship whereby the stress exerted by the jack will be exerted on the ship at a series of spaced points thus avoiding concentration of such stress at a single point on the ship.

points at which it is connected to the ship'will beequalized.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in general of an apparatus having a novel arrangement of elements and combination of parts hereinafter fu1ly described,--illustrated in the accompanying drawings andpar-' ticularly claimed and also of a method having'a' novel arrangement of steps likewise hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts inthe several views, and:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a, sunken ship lying on her beam-ends, the view diagrammatically illustrating the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing successive steps in. the righting of a sunken ship, the initial position of the sunken ship being shown in gfull lines and the several steps disclosed being shown in broken lines.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion. of Figure 1 showing the' lifting apparatus in greater detail. v

Figure 5 is a detail view of part of one of the lifting devices used in this inventionfthe view being on a greatly enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side view of' the upper part of 5 Figure 5.

of Figure 5.

' of the means for controlling the jacks.

A fifth important object of the invention is to provide a tackle for the foregoing purpose wherein the stresses exerted by the tackle at the several Figure 12 is a fragmentary detail elevation Figure 16 is a section on the line |6-l6 of Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a side elevation of a divers platform for use in connection with this invention, the view showing the manner in which this platform is used in connection with a sunken ship which has heeled over. V I

Figure 18 is an enlarged view from in front of such a divers platform, the better to show the construction.

In the invention as here illustrated a sunken ship is shown at S and rows ofport-holes P are shown in the side of this ship. The ship is illustrated as resting on the bottom In of a'slip or dock wherein the water lever is indicated at 4 ll.

Spaced along the ship are the jacks indicated in general at l2. Each of these jacks has a cylinder 13 in which fits a plunger l4, the upper end of which projects at all times above the top of the cylinder and carries a head indicated in general at 15. At the bottom of each cylinder is a flange or collar l6 of considerably greater diameter than the cylinder and extending downwardly from and axially of each cylinder is an elongated spike or spur l1. This spike is intended to engage rock or other hard part ofv the bed below. the bottom of the body of water in which the ship lies. The flange I6 is also used to support the jack by resting on the mud,- sand or other bottom structure into which the spike [1 has penetrated.

Each head includes a lower cylindrical part l8 and an upper laterally elongated housing l9 having a front wall 20, a rear wall ,2! and an intermediate partition 22, these walls and partition providing a pair of downwardly open channels 23. The top 24 of the housing has a centrally disposed gap 25 and this top wall curves to merge into the ends of the top l9 and thus terms a saddle. In the central portion of the channels 23 is mounted a sheave 26 and in each end portion of these channels is mounted a plurality of sheaves 21 arranged in axiallyaligned pairs. For each jack there is provided a set of lower sheaves 28 each carrying a hook or other ship hull engaging means 29. The number of sheaves 28 equals the added numbers of sheaves 26 and 21. A rope 30 has its ends overlapped on top of the saddle and there secured by suitable releasable clamping means 3|. The rope 3n The fitting 31 also has a pipe 42' leading from it to an exhaust or return pipe 43 and flow through the pipe 42 is controlled by a valve 44. In setting up the 'device for operation the supply. pipe 38 and exhaust pipes 43 may be attached to the side of the sunken ship or supported in any suitaflixing a to each reference character, the op-' able manner in proximity thereto. A fiexible connection 36 connects the supply and exhaust pipes to the jack I2. At is a fluid reservoir or tank which may be mounted on an adjacent dock or barge and associated with this tank is a pressure pump typically shown at 46. A suction pipe 41 leads to the pump from a point near the bottom of the tank 45 and a delivery or supply pipe 48 leads from the pump and is connected by flexible hose ortubing 49 to the supply main 38. This pipe 48 carries a main control valve 50 and a main pressure gauge 5|. From the return pipe or main 43 leads a flexible hose or tube 52 which is connected to a pipe 53 leading to the upper part of the tank 45 and provided with a main return control valve 54. In the form shown in Figure 11 the variou valves and gauges are shown as concentrated at a central point, as on a barge B. Here the flexible pipes 36 are shown as connected each to a T pipe or fitting 31a and these fittings are connected to a supply main 38a carried on the barge. Valves 39a and gauges 40a are provided as before to control flow from the main 38a. Return or exhaust pipes 420. controlled by valves 44a lead from the T pipes 31a. directly to the tank 45. The operation of'these two forms is identical and only the operation of the first described form will be here given since, merely by eration may be read on the form shown in Fig ure 11.

In operation a'series of the jacks l2 are erected alongside the upper' works of the sunken ship at spaced points therealong with the plungers in extends down from one end of, the saddle, passes.

alternately under the sheaves 28 and over the sheaves 21 and 26, and finally passes up at the other end of the saddle to the clamping means. This construction provided stress equalizing means so that when the hooks 29 are engaged with or connected to the ship and the head l5 raised by actuation of the jack the pulls on the several hooks will be of equal magnitude. Furthermore, by releasing the clamps the efiective length of therope 30 may be changed and thus the average of the distances of the lower sheaves from the head l5 may be varied at the will of the operator. From the head wall 2| extends rearwardly a set of brackets 32 between which are mounted rollers 33. 1

Each head portion l8 and the corresponding plunger I3 is provided with,a fluidconduit or passage 34 to which is connected'a supply and exhaust pipe 35 which leads through a flexible hose 36 to a T fitting 31 connected to a supply main 38 through a pipe controlled by a valve 39.v

retracted positions and with the rollers 33 resting against the ship, the jacks being inclined toward the ship. The pipes 36 are now connected to the jacks and the hooks 29 engaged with the ship either directly or by the intervention of links as at 43 in Figure 4 where links lead to the port-holes P. The lengths of the ropes 30 are adjusted so as to take up the slack in these ropes or cables and the latter are clamped in adjusted positions. The valves 44 being closed and the valves 39 open, the pump 46 is started. This produces pressure in the header 38 and fluid from this header is forced to the respective jacks thus producing equal pressures in all of said jacks. The pump is kept in operation until the plungers have reached their maximum or desired extents of protrusion whereupon the pump is stopped. This causes the upper worksof the ship to be raised and the start of this step of action of the jacks is indicated by the full line position of jacks A whilerthe finish of the step portion of the rope of one of the idle jacks is pipe 4| as shown in engaged; as at 44' in Figure 9, by thehook of any suitable hoisting apparatus and this lapping portion is raised. The effect of this is to exert such tension on the engaged rope 30 as to draw the head .l5 downward toward the ship engaged hooks 29 and thus to cause retraction of the plunger'of the jack. The clamps 3| are then released and the rope drawn taut over the housas'aen ing l8 and again clamped. If more than one valve 44 has been opened the remainder of the Jacks controlled by such open valves are collapsed inlikemanner. The valves 44 controlling the readjusted jacks are now closed and the g valves 39 for these jacksare opened while the pump is run to equalize the pressure in the'readjusted jacks with that in the other jacks as can be done by watching the gauges 40. The

valves 39 of the readjusted jacks are now closed. Successive sets of one or more jacks are treated in like manner until all the'jacks have been adjusted to collapsed position and carry the load uniformly distributed. The pump is again started and all valves 39 are opened so as to prosecuring 'the hook to the plate. The hook has a lip-or bill spaced from the back and parallel thereto, the connection between the bill and back having a convexly arcuate upper surface Bil. .Also

. the upper edge 6| of the bill is convexly arcuate and thus the surface 60 substantially conforms to the curvature of the port hole when the hook is engaged therein.

In some instances it is necessary to have the cylinder I 3 of the jack of such a length in pro-, portion to its diameter that, considering this cylinder as a column, the ratio becomes too great-to duce a second lift of the jacksand this series of operations is repeated for each step in righting the ship. In order to get a better purchase for the connections to the ship the Jacks may be moved from time to time as indicated at I! in Figure 3. Caremust be/taken to stop the action of the jacks somewhat before the ship reaches an even keel position as otherwise the ship may roll-over onto her opposite side. When the-ship is nearly in even keel position all underwater openings through which water may flow into the ship are closed or bulkheaded oil so that no more water can enter the ship at these points. Suitable..suction pumps are now used to free the ship from the contained water and, as she lightens, she will rise and assume her proper even keel position. Obviously, when the ship iias approached her erect or even keel position jacks such as have ,been described above may be used at the side of the ship which was, at the start of operations, uppermost so as to prevent any possibility of the ship rolling over with the previous upper. side resting on the bottom. In order to prevent fore and aft movement of the ensure against crippling by bending; In Figures 15 and 16 a modification of the cylinder is shown. In this form the cylinder 62 is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 63 spaced around the cylinder and these-ribs are' preferably of I-beam form welded securely to the exterior of thecylinders. 3

ers platform 61' has, adjacent on end, a pair of upstanding frames 68 of inverted V-shape 'construction. At their upper ends these frames are connected by a transverse member 69 having a centrally disposed opening: Ill for the reception of the hook H of the tackle. Being thus supported closer to one end, preferably termed the rear end, the other or front end tends to tilt ship during the righting operation she should be securely moored against such, movements.

While various means may be employed to shorten the cable or rope 30 as above described one preferredform of device for this purpose .is shown in Figure 12. Here the hook 44' is shown as formingpart of the lower block 52 of a tackle having an upper block 53 depending from the jib or boom 54 of an ordinary jib crane. Also hung from the jib 54 is a second tackle 55 view shows the hook .44 engaged with the rope I! and the bight of the rope hauled up. While the rope is in this position the hook 56 is lowered and engaged by a chain hitch, stopper hitch, clamps ,or other suitable means with therope 30 at each side of the head 15. The tackle 55 is then hauled taut whereupon the other tackle may be slackened, the hook 44' disengaged from the rope 30, the clamps 3| loosened and the rope ends overlapped as far as possible on the head Ii. The clamps are again set up and .the device downwardly but this tendency is overcome by suitable weights or ballast I2 placed on the rear end of the platform, the platform thus having a cantilever support; or suspension. Since the suspension is remotefrom the front end of the platform a diver may conveniently work on this front end and the front end may, as shown in Figure '17, be readily introduced beneath the ship S. 'In

order to prevent a see-saw action of the platform it is preferably somewhat overweighted at its rear end and a plate 13 rises from the rear, end and is provided with an. opening 14 for reception of the hook 15 of a tackle 16 having its upper end attached to the crane. Thus, the platform is held the lower block of which carries a hook 56'. The

against unwarranted tilting but when it is desired to eifect tilting, as for introducing the frontend beneath a ship, this may bedone by properly manipulating the tackles 68 and 16.

,What is claimed, is: i

1. In apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a hydraulic jack having a cylinder and a plunger,

means to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upper and under the lower pulleys,

is ready for a further expansion of the hydraulic 7 jack. Obviously, if enough of the rope cannot be taken up by one lift of the bight of the rope 30 repeated adjustments maybe made in like manner. a

A special form of hook to be used in place of hook 29 is shown in Figures 13- and 14. This verse head.

2. In apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a'

form is designed to engage in the port hole of .a sunken ship. This comprises a body or back 58 slotted as at 51 to receive a plate for connection 7 to a lower block ofthe stress equalizer arrangemeans to secure the ends of said cable together,

and, hull engaging rollers carried said transhydraulic jack having a cylinder and a plunger, means to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately 'over the upper and under the lower pulleys,

means to secure the ends of said' cable "toment rivet or bolt holes 58. being provided for 7's. gether, said last means including clamps ar-.

- spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced-lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upperand under the lower pulleys, means to secure the ends of said cable together, each of said lower pulleys being provided with ship hull engaging means, and hull engaging rollers carried by said transverse head.

4. In apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a hydraulic jack having a cylinder and a plunger, means to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a seriesof laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upper and under the lower pulleys, means to secure the ends of said cable together, said last means including clamps arranged to permit adjustment of the length of said cable, each of said lower pulleys being provided with ship hull engaging means, and hull engaging rollers carried by said transverse head.

5. In apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a hydraulic jack having a cylinder and a plunger, means to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upper and under-the lower pulleys, the

end portions of said cable passing around the end pulleys of the lower series up and over the head and overlapping at the center of the head,

detachable clamps securing said end portions together to forma substantially endless cable and hull engaging rollers carried by said transverse head.

6. In an apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a

hydraulic jack-having a cylinder and a plunger,

' means'to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a' transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upper and under the lower pulleys, and means to secure the ends of said cable together, the'top of said head having a centrally disposed gap permitting,e ngagement of the joined ends of said cable by a hoisting hook.

7. In apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a hydraulic-jack having a cylinder and a plunger,

means to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upper and under the lower pulleys, the end portions of said cable passing around the end pulleys of the lower series up and over the head and overlapping at the center of the head, and detachable clamps securing said end portions together to form a substantially endless cable, the

top of said head having a centrally disposed gap permitting engagement of the joined ends of said cable by a hoisting hook.

B. In apparatus for righting a sunken ship, a

hydraulic jack having a cylinder and a plunger, means to supply said jack with fluid under pressure, a transverse head on said plunger, pulleys spaced along said head, a series of laterally spaced lower pulleys, a cable passing alternately over the upper and under the lower pulleys, means to secure the ends of said cable together, and hull engaging rollers carried by said translverse head, the top of said head having a centrally disposed gap permitting engagement of the joined ends of said cable by a hoisting hook.

\, CARL M. ZOLL. 

